Lakeside

LIFE OUTDOORS FROM WATEREE TO SANTEE

LAKESIDE

Recipes

HOLIDAY FALL FOLIAGE

EASY TO FIND

WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016

MORE COMMON IN THE FALL

about us EDITOR Rick Carpenter rick@theitem.com

PHOTOGRAPHY Keith Gedamke keith@theitem.com COPY EDITORS Jessica Stephens jessica@theitem.com Melanie Smith melanie@theitem.com Ivy Moore ivy@theitem.com Rhonda Barrick rhonda@theitem.com COLUMNISTS Dan Geddings Deana Anderson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Adrienne Sarvis adrienne@theitem.com Jim Hilley jim@theitem.com

Cary Howard cary@theitem.com Leigh Mitchell leigh@theitem.com Rosie Peavy rosie@theitem.com CLARENDON COUNTY MANAGER Gail Mathis gail@theitem-clarendonsun.com ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Mark Pekuri mark@theitem.com Paige Macloskie paige@theitem.com Karen Cave karen@theitem.com

You take your grandson on his first hunting trip, and you spend valuable time with him creating a memory that will likely outlive you. After all, no matter the animal’s species or size, the first time your grandson fires a shot that kills an animal will be etched into his life experiences that you are a part of.

After teaching the grandson how to get the meat off the animal and store it, you’ll want to preserve that hide that will echo his memory of a special time with you.

That’s where Custom Taxidermy becomes a part of that memory. Vince Smith learned the fine details of his taxidermy craft from a sage veteran and prepares animals in their natural environment, whether it’s a deer, an elk, a bear, a turkey or even an alligator.

But what customers tell us about Vince in this issue of Lakeside is that he knows how special that animal is to that grandson, and he takes the time to allow the grandson to retell his story of how he patiently waited for the animal to line up in his sights. Each time Vince hears a story, he listens with interest as if it’s the first hunting story he’s ever heard.

More importantly, he treats each hide as if it were his own.

on the cover

We also report on a possible cure for a deadly amoeba that attacks the brain by entering through the nasal cavity when people jump into lakes. The extremely rare cases of the amoeba have hit home to local residents who hope that the treatment could cure a disease they don’t want other families ever to have to go through.

We also discuss how a flood in 2015 disrupted many wildlife habitats and sent them scurrying for new homes and eating grounds. Seeing wildlife in new locations became the norm after the flood.

And because we turned this into a November-December issue, we’ve included some of our readers’ favorite holiday recipes.

After all, you’ll build as many memories from your cooking as from your grandson’s first kill.

Remember, if you have story ideas for Lakeside, please send them to me at Rick@ theitem.com.

Rick Carpenter EDITOR OF LAKESIDE

Sumter County has an abundance of ponds and lakes. On a short drive from downtown Sumter on Liberty street, you will find majestic bald cypress thriving within Second Mill Pond. The mill pond was constructed in 1900. An earthen dam 13 feet high and 850 wide created the pond, which covers 130 acres.

In the fall the “leaves” of the cypress trees reach their peak. Their fall colors are tan, cinnamon and fiery orange. The tree is graceful in structure with reddish bark with a stringy texture. Exquisitely bent branches hold delicately formed leaves or Photo credit: Christine Hand Gonzales needles that will drop off in winter, hence the name bald cypress. Young trees have pyramidal (pyramid-shaped) crowns referred to as cypress knees, which can be found along the water’s edge. Branches are often draped with clumps of Spanish moss.

Any day of the week you can find people paddling the waters by kayak or canoe. The pond is also available for public use for recreation activities via the boat ramp (no gas-powered motors allowed). The mill pond has easy access and natural beauty.

Birders, bring your checklist as there is an abundance of wildlife to view. While there are birds common to the area, you can also count on seeing the great blue heron, osprey, redtailed hawks, snowy and great egrets, ibis, wood ducks, mallards, Canada geese and other waterfowl, the belted kingfisher, barn swallows and woodpeckers of all kinds including the red-headed, downy, pileated and the red-cockaded.

2 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

8 Look DOWN instead of UP

PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Stacey Neal stacey@theitem.com

Creating memories from hunting to cooking

to see full spectrum of fall colors

Konstantin Vengerowsky konstantin@theitem.com

from the lake

46 36

SPIDER island

Ranger Russ takes children on a trip

The BLUES

Carolina Downhome Blues Festival in Camden

HOLIDAY RECIPES

move a turtle off the roadway

Save a SPECIES

more common in the fall

Harvesting WILD TURKEY

WILDLIFE sightings

19

for Thanksgiving begins in the spring

what’s inside 16

23 12

FEATURE STORIES

3

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

community calendar BERKELEY CLARENDON ORANGEBURG SUMTER

KERSHAW COUNTY

Do you love the movie “Footloose”? Well, you sure don’t want to miss the Camden Community Theatre’s stage musical of “Footloose” at Wood Auditorium on Friday to Sunday, Nov. 4-6, and Friday to Sunday, Nov. 11-13. Friday and Saturday show times are 8 p.m. with Sunday shows at 3 p.m. Cost: $18 for adults and $15 for students/ seniors/military. For information, call (803) 425-7676 or visit http:// fineartscenter.org. Tickets can be purchased online at the Fine Arts Center website.

Historic Camden’s annual signature event, Revolutionary War Field Days, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday to Sunday, Nov. 5-6, at the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, 222 Broad St., Camden. Visitors will take a trip to the past through interaction with living-history docents as they encounter the sights, smells and tastes of 18th century colonial life. Pick up some bargains on reproduction clothing, goods and food at the various shops on Suttler’s Row. Call (803) 432-9841 or

visit www.historiccamden.org.

The Kershaw County Music Association will present its 10thannual Choral Showcase at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 10, at Lugoff-Elgin High School. Free admission. Call (803) 425-7676 for more details.

Find something for everyone on your Christmas list at the 2016 Holiday Sales Show from Dec. 2-15 at the Douglas-Reed House. Browse through wonderful handmade gifts of jewelry, stained glass, pottery, wood items, food items and more from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Call (803) 425-7676 or visit http:// fineartscenter.org.

An evening of Christmas music, the Cultural Celebration of Trees, A Multi-Cultural Committee Celebration, is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County, Bassett Lobby.

Call (803) 425-7676 or visit http:// fineartscenter.org.

The Camden Community Concert Band Christmas Concert will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11,

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at the Camden High School Auditorium. Comprised of more than 50 performers, the Camden Community Concert Band is an affiliate of the Fine Arts Center.

Visit http://fineartscenter.org.

The Ballet Story of the Nutcracker will be presented by Dance Place under the direction of Ari Dickinson at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, at Wood Auditorium. Cost is $15 per person. Call (803) 425-7676 or visit http://fineartscenter.org.

BERKELEY COUNTY The 2016 Coastal Carolina Fair is scheduled for Oct. 27-Nov. 6 at the Exchange Park Fairgrounds, 9850 Highway 78, Ladson. Visit www. coastalcarolinafair.org for details.

The Annual Red, White & Blue Festival featuring food, fun and entertainment for everyone will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Hanahan Amphitheater, 3100 Mabeline Road, Highland Park.

The Celebrate the Seasons Holiday Driving Tour will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Nov. 25 through Dec. 30. Enjoy the dozens of spectacular animated light displays that wind through the Old Santee Canal Park and Santee Cooper’s headquarters. The tour starts at 1 Riverwood Drive and ends at the park. Admission is $5 per vehicle, and proceeds benefit Berkeley County charities. For information, contact Troy Diel at tmdiel@

We will be closing on Dec. 29 and will re-open on Jan. 31, 2017.

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Visit www.celebratetheseason.org.

Take the kids to get pictures with Santa from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Depot, Moncks Corner. Call (843) 899-4708 for information.

The Moncks Corner Annual Town Christmas Parade will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. The parade will begin at Berkeley High School and end at the Regional Recreation Complex, 418 E. Main St. Call (843) 899-4708 for information.

The Moncks Corner Annual Town Christmas Tree Lighting will be held at 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, at Unity Park on Main Street. As in years past, the event will include musical selections from various local performers, lighting of the Christmas tree and a visit from Santa Claus.

ORANGEBURG COUNTY See DORA’S Christmas Program and Downtown Tree Lighting after the program on Nov. 20. Call (803) 531-6186 for details.

The Children’s Garden Christmas and Kids' Walk offers a drive through a beautiful, animated light display at Edisto Memorial Gardens and a stroll through the kids' walk featuring interactive light displays.

Scheduled for Nov. 21-Jan. 1, there

is no admission fee for this event.

Call (803) 533-6020.

The Holly Hill Christmas Festival featuring crafts, children’s activities and more will be held Dec. 2-3 with the Christmas Parade beginning at 11 a.m. on Dec. 3.

Call (803) 496-3330 or visit www. hollyhillchristmasfestival.com for information.

The Orangeburg Christmas Parade will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. Call City Hall at (803) 533-6000 for information.

The Elloree Small Town Christmas Festival and Parade will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. Call (803) 697-2821.

EVERYTHING FOR YOUR TRUCK

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The Santee Christmas Parade will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11.

Call Joanie Pinter at (803) 854-2152, extension 203.

The town of Vance will hold its Christmas Parade at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17. Call (803) 492-3114.

CLARENDON COUNTY The Turbeville Christmas Parade will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016.

The Manning Christmas Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 10.

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SUMTER COUNTY Sample a variety of both red and white, domestic and imported wines at the annual Sip and Stroll in Downtown Sumter on Friday, Nov. 11, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Call Sumter Senior Services at (803) 773-5508.

One of the most anticipated events each fall, the Sumter County Museum’s Carolina Backcountry Oyster Roast, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 122 N. Washington St. Call (803) 775-0908.

The Firefighters BBQ Challenge will be held Friday to Saturday, Nov. 18-19, at Sumter County Civic Center. Friday’s “Anything But Butt” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. and may include anything from lobster to rattlesnake.

Saturday’s events will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and attendees will have the chance to win a grill and purchase barbecue.

The firefighters and professional pitmasters competition will also take place.

There will be music and entertainment. Tickets are $10 per person; children 10 and under free.

Call (803) 773-1404 or email info@ ymcasumter.org.

The 6th Annual Silver Bells Arts & Crafts Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, at the American Legion Building, 30 Artillery Drive.

Featuring more than 40 crafters with their works on display, the event will also feature Santa available for photos from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday for $5 each.

Parking and admission are free.

Non-perishable food donations will be accepted for a food drive. Call Debra at (803) 983-3235.

Take your family, your friends and your pets to the Sumter Family YMCA’s Turkey Trot 5k Run/Walk on Thursday, Nov. 24.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the race beginning at 9 a.m.

While you are out viewing the holiday lights, don’t forget to add the Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights to your list.

Open from dusk until 9 p.m. nightly Dec. 1-31, Swan LakeIris Gardens comes to life with a twinkling holiday display featuring more than one million lights. Call (803) 436-2640.

The USC Sumter Fire Ant baseball team will sponsor the Zombie 5K Run on Saturday, Dec. 5. Walk, creep or crawl your way from 2 to 4 p.m. beginning at the USC Sumter Nettles Building, 200 Miller Road.

Cost is $35 per person. Children 12 and under are free. Visit www. uscfireants.com.

The Carolina Backcountry Christmas will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, at Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St. Call (803) 775-0908.

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down up LOOK

by DAN GEDDINGS Outdoor Columnist

W

MAPLE TREE 8 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

e automatically think about trees changing colors in the fall, but there are many other colors in the landscape if we just look.

Wildflowers bloom throughout the summer and into the fall. Native grasses and forbs are overlooked in a world of summer green, then transform into a warm palette in the fall.

Deciduous trees and shrubs take on various shades of red, yellow, purple, orange and brown in autumn.

Color changes usually start in late September and peak throughout October and November in South Carolina.

The first colors you might notice are the wild grapevines that festoon the hardwood trees. The leaves take on a bright yellow shimmering color that contrasts with the emerald green woods around them. Sumac shrubs along roadside ditches and field edges turn bright red to scarlet.

The sweetgum trees are usually next - turning to a range of orange, red and purple. Maples turn bright red. Then the oaks and hickories turn yellow, red and purple.

The best color development seems to take place after a dry summer followed by a cool, crisp autumn. Clear sunlit days show colors to their best advantage, especially in the afternoons when the light seems to make the foliage glow.

Shortened daylight hours and cooler temperatures have an effect on the amount of chlorophyll present in the leaves. The loss of chlorophyll allows other colors

INSTEAD OF

TO SEE FULL SPECTRUM OF FALL COLORS

present in the leaves to show through. Leaf color in the mountains happens sooner than the coastal plain because of the cooler temperatures at higher elevations.

Leaf fall happens when a corky layer forms at the base of each leaf where it joins the twig. The corky layer reduces intake into the leaf, causing it to drop off. All those colorful leaves eventually turn to a warm brown on the forest floor.

Wildflowers are not as showy as the trees, but I think just as beautiful. Goldenrod starts blooming in the late summer and continues into the fall. Joe Pye Weed blooms in late summer and early fall. The flower clusters are lilac to pink and easy to overlook. Partridge Pea is a forb with small yellow flowers that bloom in late summer. American Beautyberry is a shrub with clusters of small purple berries that appear in late summer and early fall. Cardinal Flower is a wetland plant that blooms in late summer. The small, brilliant red flowers stand out in a green ocean of shady woodland.

Some wildflowers are small and are hardly noticed, but the names may be special, such as blue-eyed grass, daisy fleabane, Indian pink and chickweed. There are hundreds more with beautiful flowers and beautiful names.

I have a bed of wildflowers that I planted in my front yard last fall. They have bloomed all summer, and some will continue to bloom till the first frost. There are Indian Blankets, Purple Asters, Purple Coneflowers and Native Sunflowers. Grasses are taking over the wildflower bed, so I will cultivate the bed and re-plant this fall.

The native grasses are usually overlooked in the fall. Broom Sedge is the most common and turns a golden brown in the fall with wispy, whitish-colored flower clusters that float away in the autumn breezes. Yellow Indian Grass is the South Carolina state grass and is a full-sun, warm-season native with golden plumes of late-season flowers. There are many others. If we could slow down and take the time to look, we might be surprised by the color and beauty around us.

PARTRIDGE PEA

WILDFLOWERS

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FOLIAGE EASY TO FIND

R

by IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

esidents likely haven’t seen too much fall color in the Midlands of South Carolina, but now that November is here, the viewing has improved a bit.

Drive just a few miles, and you’ll be in leaf-peeping heaven.

While North Carolina boasts the Blue Ridge Mountains with its 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway that’s truly spectacular in October, S.C. has its Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway (S.C. 11). While it’s only 115 miles long, its location is ideal for viewing the colorful foliage, and it’s more fun than driving Interstate 85.

From mid- to late October and into November, the views are spectacular, with panoramic vistas, waterfalls, steep drop-offs, mountains, lakes and more, and an automobile tour can be easily completed in one day, if you aren’t too tempted by the many interesting byways and roadside attractions.

The highway totally avoids interstates, extending across the northeast corner of the state near the Georgia line and into N.C. On the way, you’ll go through smaller cities such as Gaffney and Pickens and see the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains as you approach.

Many of South Carolina’s state parks have brightly colored trees, and you can enjoy them on foot and in some cases on your bicycle.

There are miles of bike trails in Paris Mountain State Park near Greenville, for example. They’re open to hikers only on Saturdays.

At Oconee and Table Rock state parks in the Upstate, you can rent kayaks and canoes to navigate the shorelines, seeing the changing leaves from a different perspective.

Jones Gap State Park and Caesars Head State Park are just off the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Highway, and both have excellent mountain and farm vistas. There’s even a little river.

If you don’t want to travel too far from home but you’re really into viewing fall foliage, it can be found nearby, although not in the masses of color you’ll see farther north. Both Poinsett and Lee state parks offer views of red, yellow and orange leaves that signal cooler weather and workouts with the garden rake to come. And there’s an added bonus — these parks retain their color about a month longer than those farther north.

There are plenty of other smaller state parks throughout the state. To find them, visit southcarolinaparks.com.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

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HARVESTING FOR THANKSGIVING

by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com According to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, there has never been a statewide fall turkey hunting season in South Carolina.

Dan Geddings, a hunting enthusiast and outdoor columnist, said he wished fall turkey hunting seasons were still allowed.

Many states have a spring and fall turkey season, he said.

Geddings said the vast majority of wild turkeys in the state had been killed off during sustenance hunting after the Civil War. In the ’50s, the state wildlife department restored the turkey population in one of the most successful conservation efforts, he said.

According to DNR’s website, a six-day either sex fall

12 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

WILD TURKEY BEGINS IN THE SPRING

turkey hunting season was held in the Piedmont area along the Saluda River in Anderson and Greenville counties from 1981 to 1990 to help control the growing population.

However, the population growth began to dwindle, and DNR discontinued the fall hunting season in 1991.

Geddings said the fall hunting season has yet to return because DNR staff fear that hunters would kill too many hens, further reducing the population.

He said the number of turkeys that can be killed each year has been reduced from five to three for each hunter.

That is something DNR wants to try out for three years to monitor the population size, he said.

Geddings said he understands the need for only having one hunting season but said he would enjoy the thrill of hunting turkey twice a year.

Turkey are stunningly beautiful birds, and they are really good fliers, he said.

They may not be the smartest animals, but they are

probably the wildest, he said.

Turkey is probably the most difficult and most rewarding game to hunt, Geddings said. “It’s more of a mind game.”

He said some people will go six to eight years before they actually kill a turkey on a hunt.

Turkey are very suspicious, he said.

However, Geddings said you can drive up to a turkey in a vehicle, but you can never sneak up on a turkey on foot.

“They’ll see you first. Always,” he said.

You need to be camouflaged from head to toe, but even then, actually finding a turkey can slow down your hunt, Geddings said.

It’s tough to determine a turkey’s pattern, but you can count on them to roost in trees at night, Geddings said.

He said hunters will need to get as close to the turkey as possible before daylight.

You can do some scouting before the hunting season to know where they will be and hang out near the trees where

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

13

Dan Geddings poses with a wild turkey he hunted while in the Allendale County in 2013.

the birds roost and try to call them down, he said.

Geddings said he uses a 12-gauge shotgun and No. 5 shells to hunt turkey.

You want to shoot the turkey in the head because you risk ruining the meat if you aim for the body, he said.

Although turkey season in South Carolina takes place in the spring, Geddings said it is possible to store turkey meat in the freezer until Thanksgiving.

It’s not as good as a fresh turkey, but you can store the meat for about six months, he said.

But if you have not already stored a turkey for this holiday season, a store-bought turkey will do just fine.

No matter how the turkey is obtained, Geddings said frying the meat is the absolute best way to cook a turkey because it keeps more moisture in the meat compared to baking.

And it has a heck of a good flavor, he said.

The turkey needs to be fried based on the weight, he said.

According to the website for the National Wild Turkey Federation, an organization dedicated to protecting the population of wild turkeys throughout the country, skinless turkey should be fried for three minutes per pound, and turkey with the skin should be fried for three-and-a-half minutes per pound.

Geddings said it is important to keep the skin on the turkey to prevent the meat from getting scorched while it's being fried.

To determine how much oil is needed for the fryer, NWTF suggests filling the fryer with water and submerging the turkey. Excess water will spill out.

After making sure the turkey is fully covered by the water, without any spilling out of the fryer, remove the turkey, and measure the water level. Pour out the remaining water, and add the determined amount of oil, according to the website.

Geddings said using peanut oil provides the best flavor.

Dry rub or injectable seasonings can be used to fry a turkey, according to the NWTF website.

The oil should be heated to at least 310 degrees Fahrenheit and no more than 350 degrees Fahrenheit before adding the turkey, according to NWTF. The turkey should be completely thawed and thoroughly dried before it is dropped in the hot oil. Let the turkey stand for about 20 minutes before carving.

Geddings said breasting is also a good way to

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A photo of wild turkey tracks. Dan Geddings said a turkey’s tracks can be identified by the size of the footprint and the extended middle toe. Other birds have toes that are equal in length. prepare a turkey.

After the bird has been cleaned, make an incision down the breast bone, and fillet the meat off the bone, he said. You can get all the meat, he said.

He said the meat can then be fried in a pan just like chicken strips. The legs and wings can also be cooked that way, he said.

For more information about wild turkey hunting in South Carolina, go to dnr.sc.gov.

JOHN DURANT www.MossyOakProperties.com

1-803-473-8337

A trail camera captures a group of wild turkeys grazing on corn that Dan Geddings placed on his property in Clarendon County in 2015.

5 acres surrounded by the Santee National Life Refuge................................................$36,000 30 acres between Edmounds Drive and Rowland Drive near Lake Marion.....................$283,000 110 Acres Excellent Farm and Hunting Tract. Prime Tillable Land................................. $385,000 898 Acres Hunting and Timberland. Beautiful Home Building Site. Clarendon County................. ............................................................................................................REDUCED: $1,150,000 1507 Acre One of a Kind Black River Plantation. Main Cabin, Three Guest Cabins, Great Duck and Deer Hunting. Clarendon County............................................................... REDUCED $995,000 174 Great Deer and Duck Hunting Acres in Sumter County............................. Listed at $495,000 754 Absolutely Beautiful Hunting Acres in Black River Swamp. Williamsburg County... $488,600 MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES | AMERICA’S LAND SPECIALIST

Each Mossy Oak Properties office is independently owned and operted.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

15

WILDLIFE

SIGHTINGS

MORE COMMON IN THE FALL

16 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

by JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com A good rule of thumb any time you are out and about in the Midlands of South Carolina is to “keep your eyes open.”

A good reason for that is wildlife can be almost anywhere.

Around water, ducks and geese and other waterfowl are a common sight almost any time of the year. Ask South Carolina motorists, and most can tell you about close encounters of the deer kind – sometimes too close.

It can be a special treat, however, to catch a glimpse of some of the Palmetto State’s more elusive animals.

Before winter closes in is a good time to see coyotes and foxes, and for those with luck and patience, bobcats, weasels, otters and more are prowling around even though they are seldom seen.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Jay Butfiloski said he isn’t surprised wildlife sightings increase in late summer.

“It can be a time when you do see more because they have had young and all the additional pups that have a little bit of size on them,” he said.

Butfiloski said populations are probably at their highest in late summer after the animals have had their young.

University of South Carolina Sumter senior biology instructor Austin Jenkins said it’s possible the number of coyotes may be increasing.

“They are a recent arrival, so they’ve been kind of growing,” he said.

As for the number of sightings, that could just be coincidence, he said.

“It could be other places they are seeing less,” he said.

Jenkins, who lives in Kershaw County, said dry conditions in that area this summer forced coyotes to move around more than usual.

“We see them at the edge of lake (Wateree) pretty often,” he said.

Butfiloski said sightings are more common in early summer, especially for foxes.

“It’s fairly common for people to see them in their yard in the daytime,” he said. “It’s related to raising their young, and they can be out in the yard kind of wrestling with each other, kind of not having a care in the world, just like kids.”

He said seeing a bobcat is much less likely.

“We don’t usually see bobcats even though they are there and have probably always been there,” he said.

He said his department does not get many complaints about bobcats unless they are raiding a chicken coop or something like that.

Changes in habitat can cause changes in

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

17

36 Sunset Drive • Manning, SC 29102 Main: (803) 433-2118 Deli: (803) 433-8544 Pharmacy: (803) 433-2412

animal populations, including coyotes, he said.

“There could be some fluctuations as the habitat changes,” Butfiloski said. “Maybe going from a real monoculture type pine stand or something to a little more open or farmland that is a little bit more conducive for them.”

He said coyotes have been in PHOTO BY NANCY BYER most rural areas for quite a while, but it’s possible their numbers are increasing in more developed areas.

“Sumter County has had coyotes for a quite a number of years,” he said.

Some of the places along the coast, such as Kiawah, Sullivan’s Island and the Isle of Palms have seen an increase in the number of sightings, he said.

“As far as the core parts of the state, even in downtown Columbia there have been some around,” Butfiloski said.

Jenkins said bobcats are a cat that has done well in South Carolina.

“I see them several times a year,” he said.

Butfiloski said while coyotes are an invader species, bobcats are native to the state.

“At one time, we had what would have been deemed the eastern cougar, mountain lion, puma or whatever you want to call them,” he said. “We haven’t had any documented evidence of large cats for several decades.”

For those who are trying to get a glimpse of a river otter, Butfiloski said they are pretty much all over the state. There isn’t any one place to see them, but they are always around water.

Jenkins suggested looking for them at Congaree National Park or along creeks in the new Wateree River Wildlife Heritage Preserve.

“It will take a lot of patience,” he said. “Something people don’t have a lot of anymore.”

Wildlife experts caution against approaching wild animals such as raccoons, coyotes and bobcats because they can carry deadly diseases. And people should never pick up a fawn even if it seems abandoned; momma is likely nearby.

Serving the Midlands for over 46 years!

See the Difference. Feel the Comfort.

3602 Broad Street Ext. • Sumter, SC • (803) 494-2300 18 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

HOURS: Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri: 10:00 - 7:00 Wed - Sat: 10:00 - 5:00 • Closed Sunday

MOVE A

TURTLE

OFF THE ROADWAY

SAVE A SPECIES

E L T TUR

G N I X

by KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com As cities and towns continue to grow, natural habitats are disrupted, and there is an increase in the number of turtles on roadways.

Millions of vertebrates - birds, reptiles, mammals and amphibians - are killed each year by vehicles traveling on America’s roads, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s website, www. fhwa.dot.gov.

Slow-moving animals such as turtles are at high risk of being roadkill, especially when they try to cross a road to reach mating or nesting sites on the other side, according to the website.

Julie McKenzie, director of rehabilitation for Carolina Wildlife Center in Columbia, said there are things individuals can do to potentially save a turtle’s life.

“If you see a turtle crossing the roadway and want to help, pick up the turtle by grasping it firmly by both sides of the body, in front of their hind legs,” she said. “Be careful not to drop them.

Never grab a turtle by its tail or legs.”

McKenzie said it is never a good idea to move a turtle back to the direction it was traveling from.

If possible, move the turtle across the road toward its attempted location to the nearest wooded

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

19

or grassy area.

If you find an injured turtle that has been hit by a car, chewed on by a dog or that has an obvious illness such as bubbles coming from the nose, large bumps around the ears or an eye infection, it is important to seek medical attention for it as soon as possible, McKenzie said.

McKenzie recommends for the turtle to be placed in a box lined with a towel or cloth.

Cover and make sure there are adequate air holes. Transport the turtle to Carolina Wildlife Center in Columbia or the closest reptile rehabilitation place as soon as possible.

McKenzie said because of the turtles’ strong shells and slow metabolism rates, they can survive serious injuries and can suffer for a long time, even if their shells are broken.

The shell is composed of hard bone plates covered by scutes. A scute is a bony external plate or scale that grows out of an animal’s skin to provide protection. The shell is made of keratin, the primary substance in hair, nails and hooves of other animals, McKenzie said.

Staff at Carolina Wildlife Center is able to repair cracked shells of turtles and treat other injuries for many different species, McKenzie said. Injured turtles are administered antibiotics, pain medication and fluid. They continue to be on antibiotics for about 21 days, she said.

Repairing a turtle’s shell is an intricate process.

“It’s almost synonymous with putting together pieces of a puzzle,” McKenzie said.

“The bones are very delicate, so you have to be really careful with how you handle them.”

If it is a minor injury, there is a higher chance of success for the turtle’s shell. The usual procedure includes washing the wound

with an antiseptic, application of an antibiotic and closing of the crack with epoxy glue.

Various items can be used to pull together a turtle’s shell, including cable ties.

The turtle's shell will begin to fuse together in time once the shell pieces are put in place, McKenzie said.

If you find an injured turtle, bring it to Carolina Wildlife Center, 5551 Bush River Road, Columbia. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, call the center’s injured animal hotline at (803) 772-3994. Visit the website at www.carolinawildlife.org.

Happy Holidays from our Family to Yours.

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Come see us for all your feed and tack needs.

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1208 S. Guignard Dr. • Sumter, SC • 803.775.9497 20 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

Prothro Chevrolet Your family’s auto dealership since 1926 • www.prothrochevy.com 452 N. BROOKS STREET | MANNING | 803-433-2535 | 1-800-968-9934

Main Street Manning ...matchless for boutiques

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10k Gold $14 per gram • 10k Gold $23 per penny weight 14k Gold $19 per gram • 14k Gold $32 per penny weight

LONG-WEARING CREAM SHADOW STICK OF MANNING

17 W. Boyce St. • Manning, SC 803-433-4333

520 West Boyce Street • Manning, SC 29102 (803) 435-8094

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Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season!

Two Locations:

Stop StopBy Byand and See See Ruthe Ruth or Ashley

Walk-Ins Welcome! 17 N. Brooks St. • 803-433-4257

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TO LIST YOUR BUSINESS ON THIS PAGE CALL 803.435.4716 OR 803.464.1157

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Wine. Dine.

Savor. Enjoy.

Contact us for your

special event

Call now to schedule your event or place special orders.

REHEARSAL DINNERS • RECEPTIONS • BRIDAL PARTIES & MORE • CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Manning Restaurant

476 N. Brooks Street • Manning, SC 29102 • (803) 435-4212 Monday – Friday 6 am – 2 pm • Saturday 6am- 11 am • Sunday 10:30 am – 2 pm

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LakeVue Landing

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412 S. Mill St., Manning, SC

(Next to Clarendon Memorial Hospital)

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Deep Water Houseboat & Pontoon Slips Beach & Full Service Campground Breakfast - Sat. & Sun. 6:00am Snack Bar - Mon. - Sun. Dinners - Mon. - Sat. 4:00pm - 10:00pm Fresh Seafood & Steaks Sunday Dinner - 12 Noon until

Tuesday , Friday & Saturday Nights

1543 Camp Shelor Road • Manning, SC • (803) 478-2133

3387 Paxville Hwy 9:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Saturday

Fayz at the Lake Friends & Family Gather Here

13028 HWY 260 • MANNING, SC 29102 • 803-478-3805 SUN - THURS: CLOSE AT 8PM • FRI & SAT: CLOSE AT 9PM

Phone (803) 473-7333 Don Lyles, Owner

Restaurant & Ice Cream Shop yoLu ewt iutsh hyeolpur H Paorlitideas!y

We will be closed Thanksgiving Day! • Holiday Desserts Available (48 hour notice required)

Fayz at the Lake Letyouus with heolupr Holiday y Parties!

Friends & Family Gather Here THANK YOU FOR 2 WONDERFUL YEARS AND MANY MORE TO COME!

Restaurant & Ice Cream Shop

13028 3028 HWY 260 260 MANNING, SC 29102 803-478-3805 SUN-THURS: CLOSE AT 8PM FRI & SAT: CLOSE AT 9PM

Happy Holidays from Fayz! • Holiday Desserts Available (48 hour notice required) 22 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

Recipes

HOLIDAY NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

23

HERBROASTED TURKEY

BEAN SALAD From Mary Cockerill

From Mary Cockerill

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp dried rosemary 1 tbsp dried basil 1 tbsp dried thyme 2 tsp lemon zest 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 (15-pound) turkey, washed and giblets removed 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil 1 tbsp smoked paprika Garnish: lemon slices, fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, basil, thyme, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper.

Loosen turkey skin on breast and drumsticks without totally detaching skin. Rub rosemary mixture inside cavity and under skin, replacing skin. In a small bowl, combine juice, oil and paprika.

Brush some mixture over turkey. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Tie legs together with butcher’s twine. Bake for about 3 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 170 degrees, brushing occasionally with lemon juice and covering with heavy-duty aluminum foil when turkey is browned. Remove from oven, and let turkey stand for 10 minutes before carving. Garnish with lemon slices and rosemary if desired.

SWEET POTATO CHIPS Stacey Neal

INGREDIENTS 3-5 lbs sweet potatoes Peanut Oil Salt

24 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

DIRECTIONS Heat oil in deep fryer.

Slice sweet potatoes on mandolin. Fry until crispy. After removing from fryer, sprinkle with desired amount of salt.

INGREDIENTS SALAD 1 can French style beans, drained 1 can sweet peas, drained 1 can white corn, drained 1 small jar chopped pimento, drained ¾ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped onion DRESSING ½ cup sugar ¼ cup vegetable oil ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper DIRECTIONS In a medium bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Stir and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing. Stir well.

Pour over vegetables and mix. Refrigerate a couple of hours or overnight before serving.

CROCK-POT HAWAIIAN CHICKEN

EASY OREO TRUFFLES From Mary Cockerill

Susan Doherty Osteen

INGREDIENTS 10-12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 onion, peeled (whole) 1 bottle Kikkoman Teriyaki Glaze (thick sauce, not thin marinade) ¼ cup soy sauce 1 large can pineapple chunks in juice 2 tbsp cornstarch ¼ cup cold water 2 cups Jasmine or other white rice

DIRECTIONS Grill thighs on medium-high two minutes per side to sear the meat, not cook it through. Arrange seared thighs on top of onion in slow cooker. Add Teriyaki glaze, soy sauce and pineapple with juice. Put lid on and cook on low setting for 6 hours. Discard onion. Mix cornstarch with water until no lumps are visible, and stir into Crock-Pot. Cook on high for additional 20 minutes.

Cook rice according to instructions on bag. (Two cups dry rice will yield six cups cooked.) Serve Teriyaki chicken with generous amount of sauce and pineapple over rice. This dish pairs well with Asian slaw or steamed vegetables.

DIRECTIONS Set aside 6 to 8 cookies for topping. Crush cookies in a food processor until finely chopped; add cream cheese. Refrigerate for an hour or longer, until chilled (this will make it easier to make balls). Roll into 1-inch balls. Dip in chocolate, and top with crushed cookies.

BANANA PUDDING From Mary Cockerill

INGREDIENTS 1 cup sour cream 1 box vanilla wafers 4 to 5 bananas 1 (9-ounce) container Cool Whip 1 large box instant vanilla pudding 3 cups cold milk

PUMPKIN MOUSSE Stacey Neal

3 cups fat-free milk 2 4-ounce packages of sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding 1 15oz can pumpkin puree 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 cup Cool Whip lite, thawed (plus some for garnish) Graham cracker pie crust (optional)

INGREDIENTS 1 package Oreo cookies, divided 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 package Baker’s Chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS Add milk to pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk. Stir in pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.

Gently fold in Cool Whip.

Cover and refridgerate for 1 hour. To serve, add Cool Whip and sprinkle crumbled up pie crust on top.

DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, mix pudding mix and milk together. Whisk for 2 to 3 minutes (or) until thick. Fold in sour cream and Cool Whip. Cover bottom of a bowl with vanilla wafers, then slice 2 ½ bananas and then half the pudding mixture. Repeat. With remaining cookies, crush and sprinkle on top.

Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours or overnight.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

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SUGAR COOKIES

Verena Matthews (from Mrs. Eisenhower’s White House Recipe Files) Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on size of cookie cutter – perfect for holiday shapes

INGREDIENTS ½ cup butter (1 stick) 1 cup sugar 2 egg yolks (well beaten) 1 tbsp heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp salt 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1½ cups flour

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream butter, adding sugar slowly. Mix until fluffy. Stir in well-beaten egg yolks and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the cream.

Chill cookie dough for one hour. Roll out on a floured surface, and cut

into any desired shape.

Sprinkle with sugar (colored sugars if desired) before baking. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet.

If you would rather not top cookies with sugar, brush with an egg wash before baking for a shiny appearance. Egg wash is

CROCKPOT CHRISTMAS CRACK

RUM CAKE Mary Cockerill

CAKE 1 cup chopped pecans, optional ½ cup water ½ cup dark rum ½ cup oil 4 eggs 1 package French vanilla instant pudding 1 box yellow cake mix Sprinkle pecans on the bottom of a greased Bundt pan. Mix together cake mix, pudding, water, oil and rum. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour batter in pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes, then poke holes in the cake with a long toothpick.

26 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

made by whisking an egg with a splash of cold water or milk until pale yellow and well mixed but not frothy. The ratio is typically no more than 1 tbsp. of liquid per egg. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush tops of cookies before baking.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

From Mary Cockerill

ICING 1 stick butter ¼ cup water ¼ cup dark rum 1 cup sugar Cook butter, sugar, water and rum in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cake while still in Bundt pan. The sauce will soak into the cake. Let cool completely before taking out of pan.

INGREDIENTS 1 (16-ounce) jar dry roasted peanuts 1 (16-ounce) jar unsalted peanuts 1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips 1 (12-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips 2 (10-ounce) bags peanut butter chips 2 (1-pound) packages white almond bark or vanilla candy coating

DIRECTIONS Layer all ingredients in a large slow cooker starting with the peanuts.

Turn the pot on low; cover with lid, and cook for 2 hours. Stir and replace lid and leave sitting for another 30 minutes. Stir again, and then spoon mixture onto wax paper or non-stick aluminum foil.

Allow to harden for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!

GROWING TOWARDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE

McLeod Health Clarendon, formerly Clarendon Health System, is pleased to be part of this thriving community. We look forward to creating lasting relationships with our patients and providing area families with the best healthcare services available. As part of McLeod Health, you will receive high quality care, access to specialized services, leading-edge technology, and an outstanding physician network.

Clarendon

McLeodHealthClarendon.org

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The Hospitals of McLeod Health

FLORENCE | CHERAW | CLARENDON | DILLON | DARLINGTON | LORIS | SEACOAST NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

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31

TAXIDERMIST

USES THE PRECISION OF A SURGEON TO ACCURATELY PRESERVE PERSONAL TROPHIES story and photos by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com

Top: Vince Smith puts the finishing touches on a fox he has prepared for a customer. Above: A deer mannequin that Vince Smith uses to cover with a skin stands out in his studio among already preserved animal hides.

32 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

Vince Smith’s curiosity got the best of him.

After years of catching fish and hunting animals, he wondered how taxidermists preserved trophy animals. He realized early on that any preservation started with the hide. He linked preserving the hides to accurately reconstructing the animal. So Smith read up on the subject and set about trying to learn the craft by saving pelts from animals he hunted.

After several attempts at taxidermy, he went to Jessie Singleton’s home to get some tips from the sage veteran taxidermist.

Singleton taught Smith how to fine tune his procedures that would make the difference between good and great trophies, down to the fine detail of each animal as well as how to mount them in an appropriate environment.

He learned how to do things by hand, without

the use of modern equipment. By incorporating his other hobby of producing fine woodworking products from cypress, cedar and black walnut, Smith mastered the use of different saws.

He then perfected the precision use of surgical knives to remove pelts from animals and fine tune wild game art such as fish and birds.

At the time, more than 30 years ago, he supervised big construction area sites. Eventually, his reputation for accurately preserving wild game spread throughout the region, and hunters asked him to preserve their personal trophies. Soon, he had enough customers that he decided to leave the hard hat behind.

“We work hard to understand what a customer wants, to turn it around as quickly as possible and to reconstruct the critter as accurately as possible,” Smith said.

Now, in his taxidermy shop, Custom Taxidermy, off Peach Orchard Road near Catchall, hundreds of game animals keep their eyes on him as he works. They represent either completed works or those in progress.

And that’s not to mention the daily UPS service that brings the latest frozen heads and bodies to the shop on a daily basis.

Vince, along with son Victor, meticulously records each animal, bird or fish with such detail as the customer’s information, what the customer wants done with the wildlife, exact measurements of the submitted wildlife, the quoted due date and agreed price for the service. Once logged, as the wildlife goes through different steps in the preservation process, those processes are also logged.

The Smiths gently place each species in one of seven freezers that have generator backups and alarms that set off any time someone opens a freezer or the temperature rises to a level that puts their preservation into question.

Because most of the skins come in frozen or need immediate refrigeration, Smith works each day by setting out his work the night before so that the specimens have time to thaw.

For most of the fur-bearing animals, including deer, Smith stretches carcasses over mannequins that come in different sizes and positions such as deer heads looking left, right or “aggressive.”

He even has mannequins for snakes in various coiled positions.

Victor specializes in birds. In fact, you can see examples in the studio with feathers mounted in specific order in the preservation stage with foam between some feathers.

For fish, Smith said he usually makes his own mannequin for each fish, particularly because each size and shape differs.

Smith takes the time to select the correct eyes for each species and perfects little things such as ear lines and detail down to how much white should show in a deer’s eyes.

He even takes the time to paddle in swamps and lakes to pick up cypress and hard cedar driftwood that, when dried, works well when placing animals in a diorama.

If you’ve shopped for hunting supplies at the WalMart on Broad Street in Sumter, you’ve probably seen some of his work. Custom Taxidermy displays more than 20 wildlife species in that Wal-Mart, and when people see his work, they often ask for his contact information.

Obviously, the best compliment Smith receives comes from people who have seen his work and want to work with him with their valued trophies.

Customers throughout the U.S. contact Custom Taxidermy to preserve a memory that lasts a lifetime.

In early September, a client called from Alaska and said he had just killed a moose. Within a few minutes, Smith wrote up a ticket, and the caller said he was shipping the moose head overnight.

Chip McMillan, a partner in the Player & McMillan Law Firm in Sumter, said he’s known Vince Smith for 25 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

33

years. He describes Smith as a master craftsman who loves nature and appreciates it. He said Smith feels he owes it to the subject to restore it to its finest quality.

“He’s as close to a perfectionist as I’ve ever seen,” McMillan said.

“Heck, he gets excited when he sees a piece of driftwood because he already has a vision for the piece. He has an artistic vision that gives it a life-like look to capture your eye.”

Smith restored a bugling elk for McMillan that he shot in New Mexico. He said he could have had it preserved in New Mexico, but he decided to have Smith do it here. The piece still amazes him.

But McMillan saves highest praise for Smith for when he works with a young person who brings his or her first trophy – whether it’s a fish, a deer or turkey.

“When a young hunter comes in, Vince spends extra time with them and explains what he’s going to do with the animal,” McMillan said.

“He’s really good with young people.”

Most hunters contact Smith soon after a kill – now with smartphones, some even call while they’re standing next to the kill, not realizing he’s speaking on a landline - letting him know to expect a shipment or dropoff.

He likes repeat customers because they know what kind of information he needs before they send a critter to him and how to preserve it in its most pristine state.

Currently, he’s hearing from people who have killed moose, elk and deer, including Axis and fallow deer. Ranchers imported and released live animals to compete on prairies with local white-tail deer. Axis and fallow reportedly taste exceptionally good, and both include spotted hides that hunters collect.

Smith said he even preserved a state record 575-pound black bear that was killed in Horry County.

He builds relationships with clients by getting to know each one.

He learns about the importance of a kill to the collector. He realizes he only gets one chance to restore a client’s very special item. He’s probably heard more hunter and fisherman braggadocio than most people, but he’s genuinely interested in what they have to say.

After all, he built his business on curiosity.

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TAXIDERMIST TWILIGHTS AS BOATBUILDER story and photo by RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com Long before Vince Smith perfected the fine craft of taxidermy, he developed a deep appreciation for wood and the fine properties of each kind of wood.

In the last year, besides his taxidermy service, he found time to hand make a wooden boat out of blonde and red cypress – some that had aged more than 20 years.

The 17-foot , open bay boat stands out as an exceptional piece of work with different colors of wood intertwined with red and blonde layers that augment the rich beauty of the handmade boat that includes a 7-foot, 6-inch beam.

The boat represents an even dozen of boats he personally built by hand. He started with small boats and gradually built bigger ones. The one he built 17 years ago he had no intention of selling.

At 16 feet, 7 inches, its beauty drew interest wherever he took it.

Vince Smith shows the latest wooden boat he built from blonde and red cypress.

“It took a doctor in New Jersey three years to talk me into selling it to him,” Smith said. “It was hard to part with.”

Ironically, the doctor didn’t come to pick it up for two years, and Smith had to build a garage on his property to house it while he prepped for the construction of a new boat.

Now, with his latest boat finished with a Mercury Mark 90 attached, he says he doesn’t plan to sell this one. But he’s said that about a dozen times.

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35

NOT EVEN A HURRICANE CAN STOP

THE

BLUES story and photos by BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com

ABOVE: Anthony “Packrat” Thompson of Packrat’s Smokehouse plays the harmonica at Salud’s during the festival.

Not even a hurricane could stop the Carolina Downhome Blues Festival from happening in Camden. Despite Hurricane Matthew, the three-day event still went on almost without a hitch in early October in the downtown area.

In total, 22 bands performed at 17 venues across town on Oct. 6-8. That’s one venue more than last year as Frenchy’s Authentic Cajun Cuisine on Broad Street was added to the lineup for 2016.

According to Jane Peterson, marketing director at the Fine Arts Center of Kershaw County, the festival was well attended, and only the Paul Oscher Band was missing two of its members because of the weather conditions across the Southeast.

“We had good-size crowds,” Peterson said. “We even had many coastal evacuees who found out about

RIGHT: The C&W Blues Line performs at Hifalutin on Friday, Oct. 7, during the Carolina Downhome Blues Festival in Camden.

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Mike "Lightnin'” Wells sings and plays the guitar at Sam Kendall’s in Camden during the festival. the festival online and through social media and decided to come. We were so excited to have the new people.

They said it was their first time at the festival and said, ‘We’ll come back.’”

It was the 20th-annual Carolina Downhome Blues Festival for Camden.

The local restaurants enjoy hosting the blues artists.

“It’s one of our biggest weekends of the year,” said Jonathan Bazinet, owner of Sam Kendall’s at 1043 Broad St. “It’s a nice event. Even though Kershaw County is a small county, there is a real sense of community and vitality here.

Even with small things, people respond well to it, and it’s something to do.”

Bazinet said since he opened Sam Kendall’s 10 years ago, his restaurant has been a Blues Festival venue.

Peterson, the organizer of the event, said the festival has always been successful in Camden.

“The local folks here love it, and we have blues lovers up and down

the East Coast who come to attend,” Peterson said. “The restaurants like it because it’s up close and personal with the artists, and it’s free. It really brings in the crowd to the restaurants.”

Even with the high winds and heavy rainfall on Saturday, Oct. 8, the festival’s final day, the show still went on.

“We had no power here at the fine arts center on Saturday during the day, but still we had three artists perform – Robert ‘Top’ Thomas, Lightnin’ Wells and Drink Small,” Peterson said. “The power came back on for Saturday’s main event that night when Paul Oscher performed. He was missing two band members, but he’s such an incredible performer. He just multitasked and was a one-man band.

“We were so happy that everything was still able to go on,” Peterson said.

“Maybe we should start calling it the ‘Rainy Days Blues Festival.’ But if we did, it would probably be complete sunshine.”

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Ron Adams of the C&W Blues Line plays the stand-up bass at Hifalutin.

Blues artist Gail Storm performs at The Armory Steakhouse during the festival.

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37

DRUG MAY

CURE BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA

by KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com

A drug developed in Germany to treat breast cancer might one day be in hospitals across the nation as a cure for what is known as a “brain-eating amoeba,” but the amoeba’s rarity is keeping the drug from being more widely available.

In all but three cases of people contracting the amoeba since 1962, infection has been fatal. In the three cases of survival, the drug was given to the patients, according to Todd MacLaughlan, chief executive officer of Profounda Inc., the company that developed miltefosine.

Naegleria fowleri can cause a devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, www.cdc.gov/parasites/ naegleria.

The amoeba infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose with a certain amount of force. Once a person is infected, the

illness progresses rapidly, usually resulting in death in one to 12 days, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s website. Between 2006 and 2015, there were 37 documented infections in the United States.

South Carolina has had two reported cases, in 2012 and 2016, both of which were fatal. According to the CDC, since 1962, 138 people have been infected, and all but three of them have died.

About 90,000 capsules of the drug are available at a storage facility in Orlando instead of in hospitals, according to MacLaughlan.

But because the number of people infected with Naegleria fowleri in the U.S. is considered rare by the CDC, the drug isn’t yet available in many areas.

Dr. Terry C. Dixon, assistant professor of pediatrics and a physician who specializes in pediatric infections at Medical University of South Carolina hospital in Charleston, said because there are so few brain-eating amoeba cases each year and only three people who’ve successfully been treated, there is not enough research to determine the drug’s success.

Dixon said in the cases where the drug has been used, other drugs have been used in conjunction with it.

“It’s a cocktail of about five other drugs that go along with the miltefosine,” he said.

For Sumter residents Walt and Gingi Driggers, the words “brain-eating amoeba” bring back painful memories.

Their son, Blake Driggers, died on July 17, 2012, just 10 days after jumping off a dock into Lake Marion and contracting the amoeba.

At the time, there was no drug available to save Blake’s life, Walt Driggers said.

But now, through Profounda’s efforts, nine hospitals across the nation have obtained the drug in their pharmacies, including Palmetto

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Health Richland in Columbia. Until recently, the CDC had the only supply of the drug in the nation.

MUSC is in the process of potentially obtaining the drug, according to Tony Ciuffo, media relations coordinator for MUSC. Through research, Jeremy Lewis of Fort Worth, Texas, whose son Kyle Lewis died on Aug. 29, 2010, after contracting the amoeba, originally learned about the drug when it was available only in Germany. He made contact with a drug company in Germany and was told the drug had been sold to Profounda. That is when he got in touch with the company’s CEO, MacLaughlan.

Through their efforts, Lewis and MacLaughlan are trying to get the drug into hospitals.

Lewis said he thinks the drug is the only thing available to save the life of someone who’s contracted the amoeba.

The hospital where their son was treated, Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first hospital in the nation to house miltefosine in June 2016. “I have no doubt our son would have survived had the drug been available at the hospital when he was diagnosed,� Lewis said.

Two of the people who survived, one in Arkansas in 2012 and one in Orlando on Aug. 7 of this year, were administered the drug miltefosine, also known by its trade name Impavido, according to MacLaughlan.

Since their son’s death, Jeremy and his wife, Julie Lewis, have started an organization called Kyle Lewis Amoeba Awareness Foundation, a nonprofit organization named for their son. “I think a lot of times the amoeba is not discovered in a patient until he or she has died, and sometimes they never find it,� Lewis said. “Because the symptoms are similar to bacterial meningitis, it can often be misdiagnosed as something else.�

Miltefosine was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 to treat leishmaniasis, a disease caused by an infection with parasites that enter the body through the bite of an infected sand fly. MacLaughlan said the drug comes in 28 capsules, one capsule taken orally three times a day. The medication costs about $16,000 per packet of 28 capsules, he said.

MacLaughlan’s company is offering the drug to hospitals through a consignment agreement. That means hospitals would not have to pay for the drug unless they use it, he said. Even if the drug

expires before it is used, hospitals would have no costs, he said. The consignment agreement for hospitals is available on the drug’s website, www.impavido.com. “We want every hospital to have it,� MacLaughlan said. “Given what we know, so far it has saved the lives of three people.�

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THE AREA’S BEST LISTINGSLakeside or In Town!

UNDER

Alfred Kelley 803-460-4422

CONTR

ACT

REDUCED: 6307 Sumter Hwy., Alcolu - This cute home needs some TLC to make it your own. 3BR, 1 & /2 BA, Master has 1/2 BA. Sliders at kitchen, has wheel chair ramp, nicely landscaped lawn back and front. Great for a Sumter commute to work or doctors. 1 car attached carport and front porch.

MLS # 127984 $52,900

www.alfredhkelley.com

5201 Cypress Point Condo, Manning - 3 BR condo at Cypress Pointe, Waterfront: Gated, Tennis court, Swimming pool, Landscaped. Fishing pier. Boat Slips available (additional fee of 50.00 per month). Just think no outside work, just enjoy! HOA includes; insurance on building (outside of it), grounds upkeep, pool, tennis ct, pier, basic cable and water/ sewer. MLS # 129445 Just Reduced to $124,900

3730 Princess Pond Rd. Summerton, New Listing: Waterfront home on Big Water of Lake Marion, endless views, beautiful sunsets from pier or screened porch on waterside. Nice Kitchen w/new refrigerator, large island makes prepping food while entertaining a breeze! Very large master suite, with beautiful lake views. MBA has soaker tub and walk-in shower, Sunroom also has great lake views. Has storage/workshop built onto back. MLS # 129803 $325,000.

803-460-4422

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

39

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN DHEC ISSUES A

FISH

LARGE MOUTH BASS

CONSUMPTION

WARMOUTH

ADVISORY?

by ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com In short, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control fish consumption advisories guide fishermen as they decide what areas to fish and how much of a fish species is safe to eat under an advisory.

“We test fish every year throughout the state,” said S.C. DHEC Public Information Officer Jim Beasley. “We add species when the opportunity arises.”

Beasley said DHEC tests approximately 900 specimens each year for mercury. There are more than 20,000 specimens

that have been tested in South Carolina since 1974, making DHEC’s data set one of the largest in the nation, he added.

DHEC will sometimes partner with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources to obtain certain species that might be more difficult to collect, Beasley said.

When testing fish and bodies of water, DHEC looks for dangerous levels of mercury; polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs; and radioisotopes, radioactive forms of an element, in fish and bodies of water.

Beasley said mercury, a liquid metal that evaporates easily, occurs naturally but typically enters the air and water through

BLUEGILL

CHANNEL CATFISH

REDEAR SUNFISH

Bodies of water with fish consumption advisories include: LAKE MARION

Bowfin and largemouth bass are recommended to be eaten once per week. There are no restrictions on black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, redbreast sunfish, warmouth, blue catfish, chain pickerel, redear sunfish and yellow perch.

40 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

BLACK RIVER

Largemouth bass should not be eaten. Black crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, blue catfish, redbreast sunfish and warmouth are recommended to be eaten only once per week. Bowfin and chain pickerel are recommended to be eaten once per month.

LAKE WATEREE

Black crappie is recommended to only be eaten for a meal once per week. Blue catfish, channel catfish, largemouth bass and striped bass are recommended to be eaten at 8 ounces per month.

BOWFIN

BLACK CRAPPIE

BLUE CATFISH

CHAIN PICKERELL

YELLOW PERCH

RED BREAST

LAKE MOULTRIE

Bowfin is recommended to be eaten only once per week. There are no restrictions for black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, yellow perch, blue catfish, channel catfish, redbreast sunfish, warmouth and chain pickerel.

waste incineration or when certain minerals are burned.

Large volcanic events and forest fires can also release high amounts of mercury into the atmosphere, he said.

PCBs are man-made compounds that were used as fluids for electrical transformers and carbonless copy paper but were banned in 1976, according to DHEC’s website. PCBs are still an issue today because they do not break down easily in the environment.

Over time, PCBs build up in the fatty parts of fish, but people can reduce the amount of PCBs by cleaning or cooking fish to reduce the amount of fat.

DHEC’s website states that radioisotopes can occur naturally or can be man-made.

The three types of contaminants enter a fish's body by building up in the fish’s fat over time. The three elements can build up inside a person’s body if he or she eats contaminated fish.

Beasley said the primary route of exposure to mercury in the U.S. is through seafood consumption.

“Our advisory shows that largemouth bass, swordfish and sharks tend to have higher levels of mercury than fish lower on the food chain,” he said.

Frequently eating fish with high levels of mercury may lead to heart disease in adults, according to information provided by DHEC. The risk of mercury contamination is only present when eating the fish

contaminated with the element, so people can still enjoy water activities, according to DHEC. Seafood also provides many health benefits, and eating most species from most places is safe in reduced amounts, Beasley added.

Fish is a healthy source of protein and nutrients, is low in saturated fat and contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, according to a news release from DHEC. DHEC’s consumption recommendations for fish on its advisory are based on 8 ounces of uncooked fish, about the size of two decks of cards, which is one meal.

According to DHEC, children under 14, women who are pregnant, who plan to get pregnant or who are breast feeding should not consume any fish on an advisory list.

If fishermen catch fish that have an advisory, DHEC suggests keeping small fish and returning larger fish to the water.

Generally, larger and older fish tend to have higher levels of mercury than smaller fish, Beasley said.

Although some species of fish or bodies of water may not be listed on an advisory, that does not always mean that they are completely in the clear.

According to DHEC’s website, advisories may not be issued because bodies of water may not have been sampled, there may not be enough data or the water source is privately owned.

SANTEE COOPER LAKES POCOTALIGO RIVER

Blue catfish, bowfin (or mudfish) and largemouth bass are recommended to only be eaten for a meal once per week. There are no restrictions on black crappie, bluegill and channel catfish.

Bowfin, chain pickerel and largemouth bass should not be eaten. All other species of fish caught can be eaten once per week.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

41

STRIPED

BASS

SEASON OPENED OCT. 1

A

by JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

s the nights get longer and temperatures get cooler, life gets better for the striped bass in the Santee-Cooper lakes.

Summer is a tough time for the fish, as high temperatures lead to low oxygen levels and many of the fish die off.

That’s the main reason the striped bass season is closed from June through October, said veteran fishing guide Inky Davis.

“It’s to protect the fish because over about 85 degrees, the striped bass can’t tolerate being caught and released," Davis said. “When you caught one and it was still frisky and you took the hook out, about 80 percent of them still die after you let it go.”

With the start of striped bass fishing season on Oct. 1, many observers are expecting a good year for striped bass.

In late August, retired fishing guide Don Drose said the bass could already be seen schooling, and that should be a good sign for anglers when the season is open.

42 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

“You can cast into the school with Bucktails, which is usually is what people use, or the big rigs with rubber tails,” Drose said.

Jigging spoons such as Big Hopkins spoons are a good way to catch the bass, Drose said.

“Jig them straight up and down under the boat,” he said.

Drose said when the water starts cooling the shad, an important baitfish for bass, start gathering together into schools for protection.

“The bass surround the bait from all sides, and the shad come to the top of the water trying to escape,” he said. “The fish chase them up to the top, and that’s when you see the shad on top of the water and you see the fish breaking out.”

The primary way to find them is by looking for seagulls, Drose said.

“The seagulls will go to the schools of fish and get over them and eat those bait they are chasing up and crippling up,” he said. “Stripers will cripple a lot of bait that they don’t eat.”

He said the seagulls can get thick over the schools of fish.

“That’s a lot of bait on top of the water,” he said.

Another method of finding them is just to listen, Drose said.

“If it’s calm and quiet, you can hear the schools, sometimes for half a mile, as they are breaking the top of the water,” he said.

As it gets colder,

however, listening for the schools doesn’t work as well.

“They still come to the top, but they don’t break the top of the water like they do in warmer weather,” he said.

Drose said at the start of the season anglers usually catch smaller fish.

“As you get into the colder weather in November, the fish get bigger in size,” he said. “The bass will still run the bait up, but they will be boiling the water instead of breaking out a lot.”

The biggest fish in the lake usually have learned to spend the summer months up where the water is cooler coming out of the mountains, Drose said.

“The bigger fish will stay up above those dams throughout the summer, and as it cools off, they will start coming down toward us,” he said.

It doesn’t take them long to get down the river system, he said, as they can travel eight to 10 miles a day.

“When the water temperature gets right, it’s just a matter of a few days that they can come from up there all the way to the dam,” he said.

He said the fish migration is similar during the spring.

“It’s the same way with the spawn in the spring,” he said. “Those fish will leave real fast.”

Drose said there has not been a lot of striper fishing in the last few years.

“One reason is the size limit,” he said.

A bill in the South Carolina General Assembly to reduce the size limit from 26 inches to a slot limit of 23 to 25 inches failed, he said.

“We are stuck another year with the 26inch limit,” Drose said. “A lot of our fish down in the lake run 23 to 24 inches, and it slowed the fishing down because you can’t keep many fish.”

Fishermen can catch a lot of fish on some days, he said, maybe 40 or 50 or more in a day, but there are very few of

them that that are more than 26 inches.

In the long term, S.C. Department of Natural Resources biologist Carl Bussells said the striped bass fishing should keep improving in the Santee-Cooper lakes.

“We are seeing a really strong 2014 class; right now those fish are 2 years old, and they are between 15 and 20 inches,” he said.

Bussells said that every year sportsmen should see bigger fish in the lake.

“As those fish grow, we should see some really nice fish in the Santee system,” Bussells said.

The best time to fish is from daylight until 10 a.m., Drose said, but the stripers

will often bite in the afternoon if it's cloudy and overcast, and they will school any time of the day.

“There are a lot of things that affect them - water temperature and low-pressure fronts will get them active as the barometer comes down,” Drose said.

Drose said not a lot of trolling is done early in the season.

“You don’t do much trolling in October because you don’t catch many bigger fish,” he said. “They’ll start that in November.”

A lot of fishermen who are trolling use deep-running Rebels which run about 12 to 14 feet deep.

“They can catch a lot of them trolling,” he said. ”Even people with small jon boats can get up in Wyboo and up in the creeks and really catch a lot of fish.”

He said another thing that drives the fish up into the creeks is an increase in the lake level.

“It doesn’t have to rise more than a few inches, and those bait start moving up into the creeks, and the stripers start following them in,” he said.

Drose said that year-to-year factors determine where the fish will be, but there are also day-to-day factors.

“There is a lot of science to it,” he said.

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12 North Brooks Street Manning, SC 29102 803-435-2511

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 6:00 • Sat. 8:30 - Noon • Sun. Closed Additional parking available behind the pharmacy

We accept most Caremark, Medco, Express Scripts and Medicare Part D Plans.

AARP Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford Now available from your local independent agent!

Call Today for your FREE, no-obligation quote:

803-433-0060

The AARP Automobile Insurance Program from The Hartford is underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates. One Hartford Plaza, Hartford CT 06155. CA license number 5152. AARP membersip is required for Program eligibility in most states. AARP does not employ or endorse agents or brokers. You have the option of purchasing a policy directly from The Hartford. Your price, however, could vary, and you will not have the advice, counsel or services of your independent agent.

40 N. Mill St • Manning, SC 29102 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

43

on the lake

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or rick@theitem.com. Deadline for submissions for the next edition is January 13, 2017.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

45

RANGER RUSS TAKES CHILDREN ON A TRIP TO

A spider, captured earlier by participants, illustrates how it can walk on water to leave Spider Island at Poinsett State Park.

46 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2016 | LAKESIDE

story and photos by DEANNA ANDERSON seakla@yahoo.com Picture a tiny island decorated with Spanish moss, branches, a rock or two and surrounded by an expanse of clear water. An idyllic setting for a vacation, perhaps, but what if this island is inhabited with spiders? No, it’s not the setting for a new sci-fi movie. It’s Spider Island, and for the spiders, it’s a way to show off their survival skills.

Spider Island is a free program hosted throughout the year by Ranger Russ Stock at Poinsett State Park.

He learned about it while working at an environmental education company in the New England area. When he moved to South Carolina, he knew he wanted to implement the program here.

Spider Island consists of a kiddie pool of water, and in the center sits a shallow bucket filled with sand and twigs. Children, and brave adults, are given lidded containers and nets and then are sent off to catch spiders, the boat docks being the most popular place.

After a few minutes, Ranger Russ calls all the Spider Hunters back to the island. Then the real fun begins.

Spiders are dumped onto the island in a survival freefor-all. The species caught will determine the survival techniques witnessed.

Many spiders sling a webby tightrope to the edge of the pool (sometimes it attaches to a person, and I speak from experience here), and they walk across the rope with grace and style. Other spiders will borrow that same rope and shimmy across to freedom.

Spiders that stay on the island will do one of two things: fight for dominance over their new kingdom or discreetly make a web and hope no one notices them.

Then there are the spiders that surprise most people with their skill. They walk on water. That’s right, I said walk on water. Wolf spiders and grass spiders will simply crawl down the side of the island and walk across the water to make their escape. Sometimes they decide the water is nice and chill out, floating on the surface.

In addition to the water-walking wolf and grass spiders, visitors might catch long-jawed orb weavers,

house spiders, Daddy Long Legs (which isn’t a true arachnid at all), fishing spiders and jumping spiders.

While the spiders are busy surviving the island, Ranger Russ will talk about all the cool, weird, fun and gross facts he knows about arachnids. And he knows a lot, such as spiders being found on every continent except Antarctica.

Learning about spiders by watching them in action is one reason Stock says he likes this program. It is an interactive and educational “creature-feature” program that often removes, or at least alleviates, the fear of spiders

many people have.

“I really like that much of the knowledge is gained first hand,” Stock said. “Participants actually see spiders performing their behaviors and traits as they interact. It is one thing to be told ‘some spiders can walk on water’ and quite another to actually see them do it.”

No spiders are harmed during Spider Island, and all are let go at the end of the program.

To learn more about this program or schedule of events, call Poinsett State Park at (803) 494-8177, or visit its website at www.southcarolinaparks.com/ poinsett.

ABOVE: Poinsett State Park Ranger Russ Stock releases recently captured spiders onto Spider Island so that children can see how they adapt. LEFT: Children and parents watch the activity of spiders on Spider Island created by Stock at Poinsett State Park.

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